Nation must do better for those fighting our wars

Dr. Kenneth Stewart of the Adopt a Veteran Dental Program examines the teeth of Vietnam veteran Tom Vaught.

The leaders of the American military know very well the importance of good dental care.

One of the first encounters the new recruit is sure to have at boot camp - along with the inevitable buzz cut and array of shots - is a dentist, who is charged with bringing the teeth of every recruit, many of whom might not have seen a dentist in years, up to standard.

It makes sense. The challenges that those men and women are about to undertake would be considerably harder if they're dealing with bad, painful teeth. It's better to take care of those problems early than to have to worry about them on the front lines.

That's why it's particularly disturbing to learn that many of those men and women, now aging veterans, have to rely on the charity of others to ensure that important dental work is done.

The volunteers in groups like the Adopt a Vet Dental Program, profiled by the Gazette-Journal's Susan Skorupa on Sunday, deserve praise for the important work that they do free of charge.

But the fact that they are needed at all is a reminder that the United States is failing many men and women who served their nation in times of crisis, often as recruits but many of them as draftees from the Vietnam War era.

They deserve better. We owe them better.

The fault rests squarely with the politicians in Washington, D.C., who have demonstrated a willingness to send young Americans to the far corners of the world to fight but aren't willing to pay the true costs of those battles, costs that don't end on the day that servicemen or women receives their discharge papers.

But the eligibility for veterans health care benefits is determined by federal law. It generally involves service-connected disabilities or conditions related directly to service. Of the approximately 22 million veterans nationwide, about 8 million are receiving health care benefits. And only a fraction of that number are eligible for dental care, Skorupa reported.

Yet, as dentists have been reminded us all for years now, dental health plays a major role in overall health. Problems with teeth can lead to more serious problems if not taken care of quickly. Infections, for instance, can spread to other parts of the body from the teeth.

For the nation, these problems are becoming more acute. The number of veterans is increasing because of the long wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Many have come back to a nation in which unemployment reached 10 percent or more, and a large number of veterans have been unable to find work. The number of homeless veterans has been increasing, and health care is out of reach.

If we expect our young men and women to fight our wars for us, we have to be prepared to help them through tough times. They shouldn't need to depend on the kindness of strangers. They deserve better than that.

ADVERTISEMENT

Most Popular

Most Commented

More Headlines

Most Viewed

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Email this article

Nation must do better for those fighting our wars

The leaders of the American military know very well the importance of good dental care.

A link to this page will be included in your message.

Real Deals

Flip, shop and save on specials from your favorite retailers in Reno, NV